Dark Web Statistics 2025: Trends, Usage, and Security Insights

• Scale & growth: The dark web remains a tiny portion of the Internet 0.01% but continues expanding in users and illicit market volume.
• User surge: Tor network traffic grew from 2 million to 3 million+ daily users by early 2025.
• Illicit economy:Drug and data markets dominate underground trade.
  • Darknet drug sales: $470 million 2022.
  • Stolen credentials: Over 15 billion accounts exposed by 2022.
  • Credential theft drives nearly two-thirds of dark-market transactions.
• Law-enforcement impact: Operation RapTor May 2025 seized $200 million, 2 tons of drugs, and arrested 270 suspects yet marketplaces quickly re-emerge.
• Risk takeaway: The dark-web economy remains resilient, fueling ransomware and fraud.
• Best defenses:
  • Continuous dark-web monitoring and credential scanning.
  • Regular penetration testing to close exposure paths.
  • Strong identity and data-loss controls to prevent stolen-data resale.

The dark web may sound like a cryptic hacker myth, but the numbers show it’s a real and growing force. This hidden part of the Internet reachable via Tor/I2P browsers has millions of daily users worldwide and hosts sophisticated criminal markets. In 2025, understanding dark web statistics and trends is crucial: stolen credentials, drug sales, and hacking tools circulate there, and breaches from it fuel many major cyberattacks.

Why does this matter now? For one, user awareness and usage have spiked: about 50% of US adults say they’re familiar with the dark web. Events like pandemics and geopolitical shifts have driven growth for example, dark web forum activity jumped 44% in early COVID 19 lockdowns. At the same time, law enforcement has intensified efforts: recent global takedowns see below show the scale of the threat.

In this article we break down Dark Web Statistics 2025 in simple terms: how big it is, who’s using it, what’s being bought and sold, and what it means for cybersecurity. We’ll compare the dark web to the surface and deep web, highlight shocking numbers like credential leaks and ransomware surges, and offer takeaways on defending your data.

What is the Dark Web?

The dark web is the collection of websites on anonymous networks like Tor that aren’t indexed by Google. It’s a subset of the deep web, the huge portion 90% of the Internet that normal search engines can’t access. By contrast, the surface web your everyday Google-able sites is only about 10% of the full Internet.

So the dark web itself is tiny, only about one hundredth of a percent of the web but it hosts a wide range of hidden activity. You need Tor or similar to browse it. Most of the content on the dark web is illicit: one study found about 57% of dark web sites involve illegal material drugs, child exploitation, hacking tools, etc.. Legitimate uses exist whistleblowing, privacy forums, but criminals dominate it.

Key Usage and User Statistics

Tor Network Users 2025: The Tor Project the main network for dark web access reports about 2- 3 million daily direct users in early 2025. That’s up from 2 million at the start of 2025 to over 3 million by March 2025. In other terms, tens of millions of distinct people log on to Tor each month. Tor’s bandwidth statistics similarly show steady growth.

Dark web use is global but skewed. The U.S. leads in daily Tor usage 17.6% of global users, 387k/day followed by Germany 13.5% and India. Other notable users are Finland, Netherlands, UK, Indonesia and France each 2- 3%. Interestingly, in 2023 Germany surpassed the U.S. for most Tor users in a period. For context, even smaller countries see high use: Italy had 76k daily Tor users, 5% of Europe’s total.

Familiarity: Public awareness is rising. A late 2022 survey found 50% of U.S. adults said they are somewhat or very familiar with the dark web. In earlier years, the unfamiliar cohort was larger. However, 8% still hadn’t heard of it at all.

Growth Drivers: Events like COVID lockdowns drove more people online for both legal and illicit activities. Dark web forums saw a 44% membership spike in spring 2020 vs. the prior baseline. Simply put, more internet users + more breaches = more eyes and goods on dark platforms.

Dark Web Marketplaces & Economy

The underground economy on the dark web is huge and varied. Analysts estimate billions of dollars change hands each year in these hidden markets. Here are some headline numbers:

• Illicit Drug Sales: Darknet marketplaces for narcotics are the biggest money maker. The UNODC reported $315 million in annual sales pre 2022 on major darknet drug markets. By Resecurity’s count, 2022 sales jumped to around $470 million driven by pandemic and global events. Even after Hydra Market Russia’s giant market was shut down in 2022, new markets quickly rose to fill the gap. Drugs cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, MDMA, etc. remain the bread and butter of dark web trade.
• Growth Trend: Dark web drug trade is climbing. Panda Security notes darknet drug sales rose 15% in 2022 with an estimated $1.7B generated from drugs across many markets. This surge reflects both new markets and explosive demand.
• Criminal Services & Fraud: Beyond drugs, a massive cybercrime as a service economy thrives. This includes stolen data, credit cards, IDs, hacking tools, malware kits, ransomware services, money laundering mixers, and even illicit services like hitmen or counterfeit goods. Identity theft is especially prolific: about 65% of all dark web items are identity related, full identity profiles, SSNs, passports, credit card data. Credit card dumps alone account for another 15%. In total, 15+ billion account credentials were circulating on dark web forums by 2022 an 82% jump over the prior year.
• Crypto Transactions: The dark web runs on cryptocurrency. Nearly all big transactions use Bitcoin, Monero, etc. Chainalysis and other analyses find roughly $20- 25 billion in crypto flowed through dark web markets in 2022. This includes all goods, not just drugs. Infact, an Avast report notes 98% of dark web payments are crypto. High value crime like ransomware extortion often lands on the dark web payments.
• Pricing Example: To illustrate prices, consider some 2025 figures:
  • SSN US: $1- $6Fullz Name + SSN + DOB: $20- $100
  • Credit Card with CVV: $10- $40 cards with high limits fetch $110+
  • Online Bank Login: $200- $1,000+ depending on balance
  • Corporate Network Access IAB / Domain Admin: Hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars
  • Infostealer Malware Kit rental: $1,024 per month
  • DDoS for hire 24h service: $45
• Figure: The 2025 Dark Web Price Index going rates for stolen data and illicit services reproduced from .This Dark Web Price Index shows how every data type has a price. Even a Social Security Number is worth $1, while higher risk access bank or corporate credentials commands much more. Notably, Initial Access Brokers IABs criminals who sell unauthorized corporate logins can get tens of thousands for a single domain admin credential. These prices act as a threat index: when prices rise, that data or target is in high demand.

Crime Trends on the Dark Web

The dark web hosts essentially every type of cybercrime, but some trends stand out:

• Credential Theft & Fraud: As noted, stolen identities dominate. Black market Fullz and credit card data proliferate. This fuels account takeover and fraud. One analysis found nearly 80% of compromised email accounts appear on the dark web. Organizations with leaked credentials on the dark web are over 2.5× more likely to suffer a breach. Simply put, the dark web acts like a global breach notification and cybercriminals stock up on these leaked credentials.
• Ransomware: Dark web marketplaces often play a role in ransomware. Many ransomware gangs have dark web leak sites, and some sell exploit kits. Key stat: dark web data indicates ransomware activity jumped 25% year over year, contradicting the dip in ransomware incident counts. Meanwhile, victims’ payments remain high: Coveware reported the global median ransom hit $190K in Q2 2023 and averages in the $700K range for companies that did pay. A recent surge: 2023 saw a 55.5% increase in number of victims claimed by ransomware groups 5,070 victims. These attacks link directly to dark web data stolen backups and extortion demands are posted there.
• Illicit Market Sophistication: Dark web markets have become eerily professional. For example, 92% of major marketplaces offer escrow and dispute resolution, and 77% require vendors to pay or earn license fees $3,000. Some markets even recruit vetted sellers. All of this mimics legitimate e-commerce.
• Other Crimes: Hackers sell malware ransomware, RATs, info stealers, phishing kits, DDoS services, fake IDs, and more. One study noted a cybercriminal can buy 1,000 threat installs malware dropper installations for $1,800. Weapons and hitman services exist on smaller hubs. Child exploitation materials, sadly, are also traded in dark web forums EU police reports confirm the dark web has become a key platform for sharing such illegal content.

In short, the dark web economy is sprawling: from narcotics to network access and identity theft, almost any black market need is catered. Drug sales may be the bread and butter, but fraud and data theft are equally pervasive.

Impact & Risks

These dark web trends translate into real world cyber risk for businesses and individuals:

• Breaches & Exposures: Data breaches feed dark markets. For instance, one study found that in 2023 the U.S. had an average breach cost of $4.88M and stolen credentials, the bread and butter of dark markets, were involved in 22% of breaches. The loop is vicious: breaches dump more data on the dark web, which fuels new attacks, which cause more breaches.
• Cybercrime Costs: Global cybercrime is astronomical Forrester projects $12 trillion lost globally by 2025 including ransomware, fraud, and breaches. Dark web markets are a linchpin of that ecosystem, so their growth portends bigger losses.
• Increased Attack Surface: When your data or credentials show up on the dark web, your organization is a target. Research indicates companies with leaked dark web accounts face 2.56× greater chance of a successful cyberattack. Even being mentioned e.g. on hacker forums or Telegram channels correlates with 1.75× higher breach risk. In essence, the dark web serves as an early warning system for attackers: once your info is listed, attacks usually follow.
• Law Enforcement Pressure: Dark web criminals might feel anonymous, but global law enforcement is very active. For example:
  • Op. DisrupTor Sept 2020: Targeted darknet opioid sales. Result: 179 arrests worldwide, seizure of 500 kg of drugs and $6.5M in cash/crypto.
  • Hydra Market Takedown Apr 2022: Germany led raid shut down the largest darknet market ever. Hydra had done $5.2B in crypto transactions. The alleged operator was arrested.
  • Op. RapTor May 2025: International crackdown on fentanyl trafficking. Result: 270 arrests across continents, $200M+ in currency/crypto seized, and over 2 metric tons of drugs including 144 kg of fentanyl.
  • Operation Deep Sentinel June 2025: A multi-country sting shut down Archetyp Market, a drug forum with 600K users, which moved an estimated $250- $290M in illicit goods since 2020.
• These large scale busts show that the dark web is not lawless networks are regularly dismantled and participants indicted. However, new markets spring up as quickly as old ones fall.

Comparing Web Layers Quick Table

To sum up how the dark web fits into the bigger picture, here’s a simple comparison:

In short, the dark web is very small by size the invisible iceberg tip of the Internet but its contents hidden forums, markets, chatrooms pack high impact for crime and security.

Addressing Common Myths

• It’s all anonymous. Not entirely. While Tor/IP networks hide identities, law enforcement has gotten very good at tracking darknet operators and sites see Hydra takedown. Users can slip up by logging in carelessly, using traceable VPNs, or by guilty parties bragging on clearnet.
• Only junk is sold there. Actually, everything from simple malware to sophisticated zero day exploits is traded. One study noted even 92% of marketplaces offer dispute resolution and most require vendor licenses fees, extremely professional features for criminal markets.
• I’m not big enough to worry. Small businesses are targeted too. In fact, 26% of reported ransomware victims in 2023 were small firms. Any leaked credential even to a peripheral vendor or branch office can give an attacker a beachhead. Remember: 65% of cybercriminals specifically use dark web data for attacks.

How Organizations Should Respond

Given the scope of these threats, organizations should take a multi pronged approach:

• Dark Web Monitoring: Use specialized dark web monitoring tools to continually scan for your sensitive data. NIST CSF and many compliance frameworks explicitly mention monitoring external sources. If your company’s domains, employee emails, or credentials show up on paste sites or markets, you can act quickly reset accounts, notify customers, etc.. Effective monitoring is a continuous process, not a one time check.
• Threat Intelligence: Integrate dark web findings into your threat intel. Many vendors DarkOwl, Recorded Future, etc. curate dark web feeds. Just as analysts watch open source chatter, they also parse forum posts and chat logs for planning of cyberattacks. This dark web threat intelligence services can provide early indicators of targeted phishing or exploit chatter.
• Penetration Testing: Use penetration testing services and internal red teams that simulate attacks using real world tactics. For example, testers may leverage known leaked credentials a form of black box testing stolen credentials to break in. Regular pen tests can uncover exposed credentials, misconfigurations, or credential reuse that attackers exploit.
• Follow Frameworks: Compliance rules are evolving. The NIST Cybersecurity Framework CSF and updated ISO 27001:2022 emphasize threat monitoring, which effectively includes dark web scanning. Industry standards for healthcare HIPAA, finance PCI DSS, and others now expect you to check where protected data might have leaked. For instance, HIPAA guidance suggests continuously auditing for PHI exposure online.
• Employee Training: Teach users about phishing and credential hygiene, since leaked passwords often start with a phishing click. Keep multi factor authentication enabled attackers rarely bother with hardened accounts.
• Incident Response Planning: In 2025 terms, assume someone on the dark web has it. So have a plan: if customer data is exposed, legal and PR teams should be ready. Insurance companies increasingly require pentesting and monitoring as conditions for coverage.

In short, proactive defense is key. The dark web isn’t going away; criminals will keep migrating there. But if an organization is scanning and testing as aggressively as the bad guys are trading, the balance can tip back in its favor.

Dark web statistics in 2025 paint a vivid picture: it’s a small corner of the Internet, but one with serious firepower. Millions use it daily, and its underground economy from drugs to stolen data is billions of dollars strong. New records in data breach leaks 15+ billion credentials and high stakes crimes like ransomware make the dark web a constant threat vector.

The key takeaways: awareness and action. Organizations should not ignore the dark web; instead, they must monitor it and pre-test their defenses. Are your credentials out there? Who’s talking about your company on hidden forums? Use dedicated monitoring tools and threat intelligence to find out. Invest in continuous penetration testing services and security hygiene to close gaps before attackers exploit them.

The threats of 2025 demand more than just awareness; they require readiness. If you're looking to validate your security posture, identify hidden risks, or build a resilient defense strategy, DeepStrike is here to help. Our team of practitioners provides clear, actionable guidance to protect your business.

Explore our penetration testing services to see how we can uncover vulnerabilities before attackers do. Drop us a line we’re always ready to dive in.

About the Author

Mohammed Khalil is a Cybersecurity Architect at DeepStrike, specializing in advanced penetration testing and offensive security operations. With certifications including CISSP, OSCP, and OSWE, he has led numerous red team engagements for Fortune 500 companies, focusing on cloud security, application vulnerabilities, and adversary emulation. His work involves dissecting complex attack chains and developing resilient defense strategies for clients in the finance, healthcare, and technology sectors.

FAQs Frequently Asked Questions

• What percentage of the Internet is the dark web?
  • Very little. Estimates put the dark web at only about 0.01% of the total internet.
  • Most of that hidden invisible content about 90% is the deep web private databases, login pages. The remaining 10% is the surface web we use every day.

• How many people use the dark web?
  • It’s in the low millions daily. Recent Tor metrics show 2- 3 million users connect to the Tor network every day. Users increased during the COVID 19 pandemic lockdowns.
  • The true number of people who have used it at least once is larger, but daily active user counts are on that order.

• What illegal activities dominate the dark web?
  • By far, illicit drugs and data theft. Drugs cocaine, fentanyl, etc. account for roughly half of known transactions.
  • Identity related fraud, full identity records, stolen credit cards, SSNs is next, making up 65% of monitored items.
  • Other common goods: malware, ransomware services, weapons, counterfeit documents, and more niche services.

• Is use of the dark web illegal?
  • Merely accessing the dark web is not illegal Tor is legal software. However, buying or selling illegal goods on it is illegal.
  • Also, many users on the dark web break laws. Law enforcement can still investigate you if you engage in criminal transactions there.

• How has the dark web changed since 2020?
  • It’s grown. User counts rose, sites and services expanded, and markets have become more professionalized escrow, licenses, etc..
  • New markets replaced ones like Silk Road or Hydra when they were taken down.
  • Cryptocurrency volumes in the dark economy hit tens of billions in 2022.
  • Meanwhile, law enforcement has ramped up enforcement see above. Overall, it’s more active and resilient than ever.

• How much do cybercriminals pay for stolen data?
  • Prices vary. As of 2025, basic stolen info is cheap but high value data commands premium.
  • For example, the U.S. Social Security Number can be as low as $1, whereas a full identity profile Fullz might go for $20- $100.
  • A credit card with CVV sells for $10- $40, whereas a hacked corporate server login can fetch thousands.
  • We compiled a Stolen Data Price Index infographic to track current rates.

• What is initial access broker pricing?
  • Initial Access Brokers IABs sell entry points into corporate networks. Their pricing depends on privilege level.
  • A basic VPN or RDP credential might go for a few hundred dollars, but Domain Administrator or cloud admin access can be priced in the tens of thousands.
  • For details, see our analysis of initial access broker pricing and Dark Web economics.